Lullaby
by fanficreader23
Summary: A lullaby is the sweetest thing a parent can give. Comfort, love, and kindness, will you expect the two people who made history in Panem to be singing them?
1. Never Grow Up

"Waaaaaah!" A loud wail interrupts our currently peaceful sleep. Peeta turns to me and mouths out a groggy 'it's your turn'. I roll my eyes and pop out of bed. I walk in to the small room we've made to accommodate her. Her being, Rose, our daughter. She took years and years of convincing, until I finally gave in. It is pretty rewarding. I move closer to the small crib.

"What's wrong, Rosie?" I ask her, rocking her small figure in my arms.

She just wails once more, even louder. She opens her mouth, signalling she's hungry.

"Okay, darling," I stand up to put her back into her crib. "Wait right here." I tell her, leaving the room for the kitchen. I prepare a bottle for her. As I continue up the stairs, I hear a slight hum from the nursery.

I curiously take the last step up the stairs. I find Peeta standing upright beside the crib. He has Rose in his arms.

_Your little hands, wrapped around my finger and it's so quiet in the world tonight._

He's singing. I've never heard him sing, not even once. He's moved to the window, pointing to the stars, while Rose's fingers wraps around his. I smile at the sight.

_Your little eyelids flutter 'cause your dreaming, so I tuck you in, turn on your favourite nightlight,_

He continues, and like on cue, Rose flutters her soft blue eyes to her father. He smiles and visits the lamp, still cradling her small figure between his arms. He flicks it on, and she gurgles. They're so sweet.

_To you, everything's funny, you've got nothing to regret._

He smiles, patting her dark hair. She coos and he pokes her nose in the gentlest manner possible.

_I'd give all I have honey, if you could stay like that._

That sentence makes me smile wider than a mile. The bond they have between them, I could tell now, they're inseparable.

_Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up, just stay this little._

His voice is so calming, that Rose has almost fallen asleep, but she doesn't want to. He's always told me that he sounds like a dying animal, but I disagree to that right here.

_Oh, darling don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple._

A hush falls over the room as if he's looking for the lyrics he's forgotten. I want to laugh, but that would disrupt their peace. Then he remembers.

_I won't let anybody hurt you,_

He coaxes her, his gentle melodic tone filling the whole house.

_Won't let anyone break your heart,_

His finger finds itself touching the place above her heart. A smile spreads across my face.

_Won't let anybody desert you,_

He says, snuggling her. She laughs.

_Just try to never grow up._

He finishes, and Rose is half smiling, half groggy. "I love you, darling." Are the words that bring me to the brink of tears. This is why he wanted a child so badly. Someone to love, someone to care for. Of course, we have each other, but the bond isn't the same.

"Wouldn't want to miss your feeding, huh honey?" I stride into the room, and Peeta jolts up.

"You were here all along?" He questions, getting embarrassed.

"Of course, I didn't want to disturb you, both." I gesture to Rose sucking away on the bottle.

He smiles at me.

"Love you both," He kisses me. I giggle.

"You never told me you could sing." I sarcastically frown at him.

"I can't. Something just made me." He points out to Rose.

We lay her down on her crib. "Goodnight, baby," I kiss her small forehead. "Goodnight, my princess." Peeta follows on.

We walk out, then I hear him say;

"Just try to never grow up,"

**So there you are! Another fic, made by moi. Hope you likey! Reviews are always welcomed. **

**Never Grow Up (c) Taylor Swift**

**Characters (c) S. Collins**

**Rose, Rosie, or Primrose Rue, (their kid) (c) me, the name only. XD**


	2. A stormy night

Crash! The lightning booms in my ears. Normally I would just ignore it, but tonight, a wailing child in her bedroom awaits my arrival. My hair is tangled, my eyes are drowsy, but I know she wants a lullaby. We've been singing to her ever since she was as small as a tack. It's true, humming to her in my belly is my pass time to not be scared beyond reason, well that was before. But now, she's grown to the toddler we have now. I place my robe on, and march to her room. While walking to her room, I pat down my hair.

"Mo-mo-my." I hear as I enter her bedroom. She's curled up in the corner of her room, a big blanket covering her, though her blue eyes are sparkling in the moonlight. She's only 2 years old, and yet she's so frightened. I could never live with my child so consumed with terror. I go near her very slowly, so she wouldn't get more scared.

"I'm here darling." I coax her. She just nods, but her nose is running. She's sobbing and crying and I feel helpless, but I've been through these. I pick out a handkerchief and blot her nose.

"It's okay," I whisper. She nods, but then she fires herself into my chest.

"Mommy, scared…." She mumbles. I don't know where she got this "phobia" of thunder and lightning, but what do you expect? She's just a child.

"Baby, mommy's here," I comfort her, and pick her up in my arms. I look around the house and observe the beautiful dandelions painted on her bedroom wall.

I stand up.

"So scared!" She shakes, and then cries again.

"Sssh, honey, mommy's here, don't worry." I tell her, she's shaking, sobbing, and helpless. The very unhelpful roll of thunder jolts her from her clutch on me. I put her back, and I sit on a chair.

"Mommy, sing." She instructs me, her eyes welling up with tears. Of course, I can't turn down her wish, but all that enters my mind is Rue. Dying Rue. Who instructed me to sing, as her final wish. I shake it all out of my head, registering the fact that all's well.

I try to figure out a song, but the right one comes to mind. It's an old one, years and years and more years ago, and it's called lullaby for a stormy night.

I begin;

_Little child, be not afraid,_

_The rain pounds harsh, against the glass,_

_Like an unwanted stranger, there is no danger,_

_I am here tonight._

Rosie, as we've started to nickname her as, stops sobbing, but is still choking back tears. She wants me to continue.

_Little child, _

_Be not afraid,_

_As thunder explodes, and lightning flash, _

_Illuminates, your tearstained face, _

_I am here tonight._

I sing to her, wiping a stray tear from her eye. I've sung this song to her probably a dozen times, because it is rainy season. I continue;

_And someday you'll know,_

_Nature is so,_

_The same rain that draws you near me,_

_Falls on rivers and lands,_

_Forests and sands,_

_Makes the beautiful world that you see, in the morning._

She smiles at me, liking my tone. I smile back, these are one of the rare occasions I sing; lullabies for my child. It feels like loosening up, forgetting before.

_Little child, _

_Be not afraid,_

_Though storm clouds mask your beloved moon,_

_And candlelight beams, _

_Still keep pleasant dreams,_

_I am here tonight._

This verse hits me, remembering the nightmares I've had, in hope that Rosie will have pleasant dreams, not having to embrace our nightmares.

_Little child_

_Be not afraid_

_The wind makes creatures of our trees_

_And the branches to hands_

_They're not real, understand_

_And I am here tonight._

The wind is too, blowing the trees outside, creating shapes and pictures, but she always took pleasure in them. The un- helpful lightning illuminates us both, sitting on the ledge of her bed. She grips tighter, and I hold her closer.

_And someday you'll know_

_That nature is so_

_This same rain that draws you near me_

_Falls on rivers and land_

_And forest and sand_

_Makes the beautiful world that you see_

_In the morning._

The chorus describes a beautiful world, very much out of my reach when I was her age, when the Hunger Games controlled us and whipped us into shape. This is the beautiful world, the world we have now. The world where people would be safe from harm's reaches. The very place where I vowed Peeta's children would be safe, and it came true.

_For you know, once even I_

_Was a little child_

_And I was afraid_

_But a gentle someone always came_

_To dry all my tears_

_Trade sweet sleep for fears_

_And to give a kiss goodnight._

The little child described here, was me. The gentle someone, was Peeta. The countless nights he's been willing to stay up just to bring me back. A lone tear falls down my cheek, remembering before. I wipe it with my free hand so that Rosie wouldn't see it.

_Well, now I am grown_

_And these days have shown_

_Rain's a part of how life goes_

_But it's dark and it's late_

_So I'll hold you and wait_

_'til your frightened eyes do close_

I sing to her, we're almost at the end, but I want to continue. This verse is just like saying; But now I am grown, and these days have shown, nightmares are part of healing goes, but we've gone through a lot, and willing to wait, So I'll hold you and wait 'til your frightened eyes do close. Of course, that isn't the lyrics, but it just came into my head.

_And I hope that you'll know_

_That nature is so_

_This same rain that draws you near me_

_Falls on rivers and land_

_And forests and sand_

_Makes the beautiful world that you see_

_In the morning_

_Everything's fine in the morning_

_The rain will be gone in the morning_

_But I'll still be here in the morning_

That's what ends the song.

"I love you darling," I whisper to her. Her waterworks had just stopped, but her face is streaked with those horrible tear tracks. My waterworks had just appeared.

"Mommy, why?" Rosie asks me, puzzled by why am I crying.

"Let's just say it's a long story," I say. I just built up an alibi, but she doesn't need to know yet.

"Okay," She nods, but looks down.

"What's wrong, dear?" Now I'm the puzzled one.

"Sorry, didn't mean to…" She looks at her feet. Have I put more weight on her shoulders than she should have?

"Oh, no, don't be, mommy's fault." I blame myself. I wipe the oncoming tears away.

"Okay." She fails to meet my eyes.

"Baby, look at me," I feel guilty now; I've made her feel horrible. Her beautiful blue eyes stare at me, without confidence.

"Nothing's wrong. Mommy and daddy love you, that's all that matters." I coax her, as I stand up.

"Don't go," She frowns, her eyes welling up once more.

All that I register is Rue, lying helplessly on the grassy floor.

"I won't, I'll never." I reassure her.

"Okay, one thing." She smirks.

"What is it?" I ask her, and apparently the rain has calmed down to a cool drizzle.

"Oh, nothing." Her red nose is pairing with her smirk.

Five minutes later I'm seen with her in my arms. I go to the bedroom.

"Peeta, we have a visitor." I say happily.

"Who?" He asks, sleepily.

"Her." I gesture to Rosie.

We lay down in the bed, with her in the middle.

_But I'll still be here, in the morning._


End file.
